Princess
by Keitorin Asthore
Summary: What's Yoh to do when the fearsome Ice Queen Anna Kyoyama is turned into a darling threeyearold princess with anger management issues and a pacifier dependency? COMPLETE.
1. Chapter 1

Disclaimer: Shaman King belongs to Hiroyuki Takei and Shonen Jump, not me.

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"This house is too scheduled," Pilika complained. She poked at the orange in the big bowl on the kitchen counter. "Every day it's the same thing. Yoh wakes up at an ungodly hour and goes running. Then Tamao gets up. Then Yoh comes back and wakes up Anna. Then he makes breakfast. Then Anna comes downstairs, complains a little, yells a lot, and eats breakfast. Then we all meet here and go to school. Unless, of course, it's a Saturday like today, and we all just show up and hang here."

Tamao shrugged. "I don't mind it," she said.

"But where's the spontaneity?" Pilika demanded, throwing her hands in the air. "The excitement! The novelty! The-"

"I hungry."

Pilika blinked. "Tamao? Since when do you not use proper grammar?"

"That wasn't me," Tamao said.

"I said, I hungry."

The two girls looked over the counter. A little girl with flyaway blonde hair was standing by the foot of the steps, scowling in a very familiar manner. "Anna hungry," she announced.

"Well, there's some excitement, all right," Tamao said faintly.

Pilika grabbed Tamao's arm. "Tamao," she whispered. "She said 'Anna.' Does that mean…"

"I guess that's _our _Anna," the pink haired girl said.

Pilika screamed.

The little girl's expression was a mixture of exasperation and fear. "Why she scream?" she asked. "Spider?" When no one answered her, the toddler attempted to climb up on one of the stools. "Isn't there food for Anna? I hungry! Where Yoh? And who is you?"

HoroHoro and Ren came racing into the room. "What's wrong?" Ren demanded. "Why'd you scream?"

"Aw, where'd the cute little girl come from?" HoroHoro asked. He tried to help the child. The darling little tot responded by kicking him in the shins.

"DEVIL CHILD!" HoroHoro shrieked, jumping up and down in pain. "SHE'S A DEVIL CHILD!"

The little girl's chin began to tremble. "I not devil," she said. "You mean to me. I tell Yoh!" She ran into the living room.

"What was that?" Ren asked.

"Anna," Tamao said. "She's…she's Anna."

"I'm going to call Faust. Maybe he can recommend a good shrink," HoroHoro said.

Pilika grabbed Ren. "What are we going to do?" she wailed. "The evil queen is now a preschooler!"

"First of all…stop grabbing me," Ren said. "Second of all, she doesn't recognize us, but she keeps asking for Yoh. He should be back soon, so he can take care of it. Her. The…baby."

"Oh, Kami," Tamao moaned. "I need to sit down…"

"Why? Are you all right?" Yoh came into the kitchen, his ponytail wet from the rain.

"Yoh! Hallelujah! You can save us!" Pilika screamed.

"From what?" he asked, puzzled.

"From the evils of the chibi from hell, that's what," she told him.

"Anna's a toddler," Tamao explained. "We don't know why, but…she came downstairs this morning, and she was little."

"Where is she now?" Yoh asked, taking in the stunning turn of events with typical lazy acceptance.

"The living room, I think," Ren said.

"And keep your shins well guarded. She already maimed HoroHoro," Pilika warned.

Yoh peeked into the living room. "Anna?" he called tentatively. "Are you in here?"

"No," came a muffled little voice. "Go 'way."

He grinned. There was a rather large bump in one of the floor-length curtains. "Anna, it's me," he said. "Yoh."

A tiny hand pushed back the curtains. "Yoh ?" Anna repeated. She toddled out from behind the panel.

The tiniest, most exquisite little girl he had ever seen gazed up at him with wide dark eyes. Tousled blonde hair hung to the middle of her back. She was wearing a sleeveless black dress, and as she stared at him in apprehension the middle two fingers of her small right hand crept into her mouth.

"Come here, honey, it's okay," Yoh said, kneeling on the floor. He held out his arms. "Can I pick you up?" Anna shook her head, but slipped her soft hand into his callused one. "How about we find something for you to eat, hm? What are you hungry for?"

"Pancakes," she said. Her small fingers curled around his big fingers as she followed him into the kitchen.

Yoh picked her up and set her on the counter. "Pancakes it is, then," he said cheerfully.

He watched the little girl carefully as he started making breakfast. _Why didn't I listen more when Grammy was talking?_ He vaguely remembered her telling him something about "childhood avoidance regression." However, he had no earthly idea what the term meant. All he knew was that it had something to do with the solemn-eyed preschooler sitting opposite him.

"Yoh? I got a call from HoroHoro, and thought I should come over." Faust came into the kitchen and stopped dead in his tracks. "Oh, my."

"Faust, this is Anna. Anna, this is Dr. Faust. He's very nice," Yoh reassured her.

"H'llo," Anna said shyly.

"Why, good morning, little one," Faust said, smiling at her. "So your name is Anna?" She nodded. "My, that's a pretty name. And how old are you, Anna?" She held up three fingers. "Three years old? You're practically grown up!" Anna nodded gravely.

"I a big girl," she said.

"Yes, you are," Faust said. "Now, I have a special toy that I use that lets me listen to the hearts of big girls like you. Will you let me do that?" She shook her head, eyes wide. "How about I let you listen to Yoh's heart first? Then will you let me listen to yours?" Anna nodded once slowly. Faust beckoned to Yoh. He set down the wire whisk and sat down next to Anna as Faust put the stethoscope plugs in her ears. She held the instrument against his chest, cocking her head and biting her lip in concentration as she listened to his heart. Yoh studied her piquant face. The delicate nose was the same, and the dainty ears, and the sweet cupid-bow mouth. Everything was younger, though- softer and rounder than the sharp lines and planes of her face when she was older.

"There, you see?" Faust said. "Nothing to be scared of. Now may I listen to yours?" Anna nodded this time, handing the stethoscope back to him. Yoh went back to making the toddler's breakfast, keeping a sharp eye on the medical examination as Faust listened to Anna's heart and breathing. "All done. And it looks like Yoh is done making your pancakes, so you can stay here and eat while we talk, all right?"

"T'ank you," she said politely, reaching for the warm pancake that Yoh had cut into bite-size bits for her to eat. Faust tugged Yoh into the living room.

"Well, she's healthy," he said. "A little small and thin for her age, but she's always been that way."

"But what happened to her that made her like this?" Yoh asked.

"Did Anna have a bad childhood?"

Yoh's brow furrowed. "All we know about her life before was that she was abandoned," he said. "And my grandmother raised her pretty strictly."

"Just as I thought," Faust said. "Anna is going through childhood avoidance regression. She became a child again so that she can have some happy memories of her childhood, and erase some of the bad ones."

"Yes, but when will she get back to normal?" Yoh pestered.

"As soon as she subconsciously feels she's ready," Faust shrugged. "In the meantime, though, you have a precocious three-year-old on your hands. It's a good age, actually. Old enough to be out of diapers and little enough to still be blankie-dependent." He smiled at little Anna, who was busily eating the pancake bites with her fingers. "Take good care of her, and call me if you need anything."

Yoh nodded and went over to the toddler. "Are you full yet?" he asked.

"Really full," Anna sighed.

He sat down on the seat next to her. "Well, guess what, honey. We're going to have to take you shopping for new clothes," he said.

Pilika poked her head in the kitchen. "Did I hear something about new clothes?" she asked.

"New clothes for Anna," he said. "She doesn't have anything except this dress, so I want you and Tamao to take her shopping."

"Oh, no," Tamao said. "If we're taking Anna shopping, you have to come too. She'll be completely wild if you don't come watch her."

Yoh picked Anna up and set her on his knees. "You want me to come with you, Anna-chan?" he asked.

"Hai," she said, nestling against him. "Want Yoh."

"Let me just grab my stuff," Pilika said. "Shopping with a miniature Anna…oh, the fun I'm going to have today…"

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**Author's Notes:**

Don't you love how I made up a fake psychological disorder?

Seriously, folks, I love writing chibi Anna, but there's no good way of explaining how it happened.


	2. Chapter 2

Disclaimer: Shaman King belongs to Hiroyuki Takei and Shonen Jump, not me.

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They arrived at the mall about an hour later with a heartily protesting Anna in tow. "Anna walk!" she shouted. "I big girl! I walk!"

"You can't, Anna-chan, you don't have any shoes," Yoh explained patiently, readjusting the squirming toddler on his hip. "As soon as we get you some shoes you can walk, okay? But now you have to be still and let me carry you." She scowled, but obeyed. "So…we just pick up some clothes for her and go, right?"

"Oh, no," Tamao said. "She'll need dresses and playclothes and shoes and pajamas…there's quite a lot to get."

"We won't need to get her a crib; I called Manta and he's going to bring Mannoko's old one over," Yoh said.

"She'll need some other baby things, though," Pilika said. "Tell you what. We'll all go get Anna shoes, and then Tamao and I will get her clothes while you buy her sipper cups and suchlike."

"Want shoes. Then Anna walk," the toddler insisted. "I big girl, 'member?"

"Yes, I know you're a big girl," Yoh said. "Let's go get you shoes."

The first thing Anna pointed to was a pair of shiny patent leather Mary Janes with bows. "Want!" she squealed. "Want! Anna want!"

"Not at that price, baby doll," Yoh said. He slung the wriggling little girl over his arm. "Let's look at these."

She pouted. "Ugly boy shoes," Anna complained.

"She's right, Yoh, they're as ugly as sin," Pilika agreed. "How about these, Anna?" She held up a tiny pair of tan suede sandals with gold butterfly buckles.

Interested, Anna poked the shiny buckles. "Pretty," she commented.

Yoh set her down on a chair. "Then let's try them on," he said. He slipped the sandal onto her small foot. "Wow…you're tiny."

"What did you expect, Yoh? She's three," Tamao said, looking at the different sneakers. "Ooh! Look how cute! Do you want to try these on, Anna?"

The toddler swung her little legs back and forth, watching the light catch on the buckles on her sandals. "See, pretty!" she chirped.

"Yes, I see, honey, but you need to try on some other shoes too," Yoh said. He tugged the little shoes off before Anna could wail in protest. "We'll get these, but you have to try on some other ones first."

Anna fidgeted through six more pairs of shoes, until Tamao and Pilika finally decided on a pair of sneakers and a pair of Mary Janes, besides the little sandals. "Bored," Anna fussed.

"I know you are, kiddo," Pilika said. "Tell you what. If you tell me and Tamao your favorite colors, we'll pick out all of your clothes and Yoh can take you for the other things you need, okay?"

Anna nodded vigorously. "Pink and boo and lello," she said.

"Blue and yellow?" Pilika guessed.

"Anna like boo and lello."

"I see…"

"And Anna like dressies." The little eyebrows furrowed. "Only dressies."

"Uh…allrighty then."

Tamao handed Yoh a piece of paper. "I made out a list of things she'll need. There's a Babies R Us at the south end of the mall. Meet us back by the doors at five, okay?" she said.

Yoh finished buckling the sandals back onto Anna's feet. "Sure, sure," he said. He set Anna on the floor and took her hand. "Let's go buy things, shall we?"

"Can Anna get toys?" she inquired, cocking her head to one side.

"Probably," he grinned, knowing that most likely he would buy any toy she asked for. She skipped to keep up with him, clinging to his hand.

"Yoh-san! Yoh-san!"

Yoh winced. "Oh, crap," he muttered.

Anna poked him. "Bad word," she reprimanded.

"Hi, Yoh-san! What are you doing here?" Suki chirped.

He shifted his weight from one foot to another. "Uh…shopping," he said.

"That's _awesome_! So am _I_!" she exclaimed. "Oh, and who is this cute little angel?"

Anna ducked behind Yoh, wrapping her short arms around his leg. "My…my…eh…my foster sister," he finally stammered. "Yeah. Foster sister. Her parents died, so my parents took her in. She's visiting with me."

"Ooh, what a cute little darling!" Suki cooed. Anna buried her face in the back of Yoh's knee. "Yes, you are! Yes, you are!"

Yoh reached down and smoothed Anna's hair to calm her down. "Well, I really have to go, so I'll see you at school," he said.

Suki looked disappointed. "Well…okay," she said. "Bye, Yoh-san. Bye, little cutie-pie!"

Anna peeked up at Yoh. "Me no like her. She too perky," she commented. Yoh laughed and ruffled her hair.

The Babies R Us gave Yoh a rather unsettling feeling. _So many baby things…_He hadn't thought he'd need to buy baby things for a couple more years. Anna toddled obediently at his side, sucking on her fingers. The shopping continued in complacent silence for quite a while, until Anna spotted something.

"Passie!" the baby squeaked. She stopped dead in her tracks, tugged on Yoh's pants, and pointed to a small package high above her little head. "Anna want passie!"

"You're too big for a pacifier, Anna," Yoh said absently as he checked the list. "C'mon, let's go."

That's when it started.

First her dark eyes grew wide and dewy.

Then her little mouth began to tremble.

The long eyelashes began to blink.

A tear dripped down the round cheek.

And the floodgates broke.

"Anna w-want passie!" she wailed desolately. "P-Please! Anna w-want!"

Yoh quickly knelt down to the tiny girl's eyelevel. "It's okay, honey, it's okay," he tried to soothe her. "You're not too big for a pacifier. I'll get one for you." He grabbed the package nearest him and put it in the shopping cart. She sniffled. "See, it's all right. You don't need to cry." He picked her up and set her in the cart's child seat. Anna still looked miserable. Yoh began to feel inexplicably guilty. "Hey, do you want a plushie? How about a cow? Or a duck?" He handed her a soft buttercup-yellow duck. She clutched it to her chest, staring up at him with huge teary eyes. "We can get you a blankie too, would that make you happy?" He frantically tossed several more items into the cart, hoping to alleviate the sadness in the tiny face. She sniffed, rubbing her eyes with the backs of her little hands, and studied the ground rolling beneath her from her vantage point at the top of the shopping cart.

The woman at the checkout counter smiled when she saw them. "Oh, my, what a sleepy little face," she said. "I suppose someone missed their afternoon nap."

Yoh lifted Anna out of the shopping cart and set her on his hip. "I guess so," he said. Anna yawned mightily, her round wet cheek pressed against his chest. He wrote out the check, hoping with all his heart that grown-up Anna wouldn't be angry when she found out, picked up the bags, and left the store.

"There you guys are!" Pilika exclaimed. She and Tamao held several bulging shopping bags. "HoroHoro called; he and Ren ordered takeout for dinner and it'll be there by the time we get back."

"Good," Yoh said. "Because Anna is going to get fed, given a bath, and then sent off to bed." Proving his point, the drowsy toddler yawned into his shirt. He dug with one hand in the shopping back, got the three-pack of pacifiers, and pulled one out. "Open wide, kiddo." Anna opened her mouth like a baby bird and sucked happily on the pacifier. She proceeded to suck on it through the entire bus ride home as she nestled in Yoh's lap, rousing only enough to stare in interest at the shiny buckles on her brand new sandals.

"Dude!" HoroHoro exclaimed when they finally traipsed through the front door. "How long does it take to buy some pants for a toddler?"

"No pants, dressies," Anna said, popping her pacifier out long enough to correct him.

"I see," HoroHoro said.

"Did Manta come by with the crib?" Yoh inquired, peeking into the white takeout boxes.

"Nada on Manta. He called to say he can't come by till tomorrow."

Yoh sighed. "I guess a certain toddler will have to share with me tonight," he said.

"Asakura!" Pilika huffed. "We are _not _carrying all of these bags in by ourselves!"

"But I have a toddler to feed!" Yoh protested.

"Give her to me," HoroHoro said. "You get all those things upstairs, I'll feed the mini tyrant, and then Pilika or Tamao can be the lucky one to give the chibi a bath."

Yoh raised an eyebrow. "You? And a toddler?"

"Hey, he used to babysit all the munchkins in the village back home," Pilika panted. "Just come get these bags, Asakura!"

HoroHoro clapped his hands. "C'mere, you cute little devil, you," he cooed. "Come to your oji-san. He'll feed you." Much to Yoh's surprise, Anna leaned out of his arms towards HoroHoro.

"C'mon, upstairs," Pilika ordered, shoving several bulging bags into Yoh's arms.

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**Author's Notes:**

Nothing is cuter than a baby with a pacifier. The end.


	3. Chapter 3

Disclaimer: Shaman King belongs to Hiroyuki Takei and Shonen Jump, not me.

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He was in the middle of hanging up a tiny dress when the question he had been dreading all day was finally asked. "Yoh…why did Anna turn into a three-year-old again?" Tamao ventured.

He sighed heavily, blowing several strands of hair out his eyes. "Did you ever hear Grammy talk about childhood avoidance regression?" he asked.

"A few times. Why? Is that what Anna has?" He nodded. "What causes it?"

"A bad childhood," Yoh answered. "She reverted to this stage to make new memories to replace some of the bad ones." He avoided their eyes as he finished hanging clothes.

"Yo-oh!" HoroHoro hollered. "There's a little girl who wants you!"

He grinned slightly. "I'm guessing Anna needs me," he said. "I'll bring her up for her bath. One of you will have to do it, though."

"I will," Tamao offered. "I'll go run the water."

Yoh poked his head in the kitchen to find Anna shrieking with delight as HoroHoro let her eat noodles with her hands. "Great, now you've gotten her all wound up so she'll never get to sleep," Yoh complained. He plucked Anna up to carry her upstairs. "Time for bath and bedtime."

"Yay!" Anna said. "You give Anna bath, and Anna go sleepies."

"No, honey, I can't give you a bath," Yoh said. "You're a little girl, and I'm a boy. Tamao's going to give you a bath."

"No, no, no!" Anna wailed. "Tamao no like Anna!"

He stopped and stared at her. "Whatever gave you that idea, baby doll?" he asked. "Tamao loves you."

Anna shook her head. "Nobody like Anna, 'cept Yoh," she said firmly.

"Who told you that?" he asked.

"Ev'ybody," she shrugged. She popped her pacifier into her mouth, ending the conversation.

He patted her back. "Tell you what. I'll sit in the bathroom with you, but Tamao will give you a bath. Deal?" She nodded, pouting. Yoh handed her off to Tamao.

He rejoined them in the bathroom to find a massive tub full of bubbles and one little blonde head. "What this?" Anna asked Tamao, poking at the foam.

"Bubbles," Tamao said, covering Anna's eyes as she poured water over her blonde hair.

"Anna no see these 'bubbles' afore," the toddler said.

Yoh hoisted himself up to sit on the sink counter. "You've never had a bubble bath before?"

"Uh-uh," she answered, shaking her head and sending shampoo foam everywhere. "But Anna like it." Tamao scooped up a small handful of bubbles and blew them gently. Anna burst into giggles, stretching out her hands to grab them. Yoh laughed.

"All right," Tamao said about ten minutes later. "All done."

Yoh slid off the counter. "I'm going to go so Tamao can help you get dressed, okay, honey?" he said.

"Hai," Anna said absently as she propelled a mermaid doll and a plastic duckie at warp speed through the bubbly water. Yoh smiled as he closed the door behind him.

"So, how'd the munchkin take to her bath?" HoroHoro asked.

"Pretty easily," Yoh answered. "Hey, you going to finish that?" Ren handed over his bowl.

"I'm surprised," Pilika mumbled through a mouthful of udon noodles as she ate directly from the white takeout box. "Anna's really not as bad as I thought."

"All children are innocent," Ren said. "It's the situations around them that take their naiveté away."

"Hey, look! They've got a behind-the-scenes special on that new Kiki Nikolae movie!" HoroHoro exclaimed. He turned up the volume as Yoh joined the rest of them on the couch.

The special was barely underway when it was interrupted by Tamao. "I've got a sleepy little girl here. Who wants her?"

"Ooh, me!" Yoh said, stretching out his arms. Tamao deposited Anna into his lap, along with her stuffed duck, yellow blanket, and pacifier. "Did you enjoy your bath?"

"Anna like baths," she said. "Now give passie."

"Yes, your highness," Yoh smiled, popping the pacifier into her mouth. She was dressed in a satiny pink nightgown with spaghetti straps and daisies embroidered on the hem and neckline. Cute, but not very warm. Yoh snuggled Anna against him, draping her blanket over her and his lap, and rested his chin on the top of her head. "You all cozy now?" The little blonde head bobbed up and down.

As he cuddled Anna on his lap, Yoh was suddenly struck with a sense of her fragility. She was tiny, but more than that, she was vulnerable. Anything- or anyone- could harm her. Yoh wrapped his arms tighter around her and patted her tummy. "You ready for bed yet, baby love?" he whispered.

"Anna sleepy," the three-year-old yawned.

Yoh kissed her warm satiny hair and stood up, cradling her. "Say goodnight, Anna-chan," he said.

Anna opened and closed her small hand in a wave to the others. "Night-night," she said. She promptly buried her face against the warm curve of his neck, clinging to him. Yoh carried her upstairs to his room, whispering soothing things in her ear and rubbing her back.

She blinked sleepily at him as he tucked her into bed, her dark eyes shining. "Goodnight, darlin'," he whispered, pressing a kiss on her forehead.

Anna's little face lit up. "A kissie," she whispered. "A little kissie for Anna."

"Yes, my baby," Yoh smiled. "Sweet dreams." By the time he had slipped her duckie under her arm and draped her blanket over them both, she was fast asleep, her round cheek pressed against the pillow. He turned on her nightlight and closed the door.

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**Author's Notes:**

Bwahaha, I appear randomly in this chapter!

Also: more of my fake psychological disorder. Feel free to borrow it for your own chibi stories.


	4. Chapter 4

Disclaimer: Shaman King belongs to Hiroyuki Takei and Shonen Jump, not me.

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Yoh went to bed several hours later, slipping into bed carefully so he wouldn't wake the baby. He fell asleep instantly, which was good because he had to get up at five o'clock and go running. Again.

He swatted the alarm quickly before the beeping could wake Anna, put on his workout clothes, and left for his three-mile run. When Anna first made him run for his workout program, he hated it, but now he found it relaxing. It gave him time to think. And he had a lot to think about.

Anna never spoke about her childhood or her training on Mount Osore. He still remembered what she was like when he first met her: angry, defiant, silent. She hated the world and wished everyone was dead, and she was only ten years old. Something must have happened to her. Something bad.

Before he knew it, he was back at his own house, done with his run even though thoughts were still jumping through his head. He silently made his way back upstairs. Anna-chan was sound asleep, the only noise in the room the soft sucking of her pacifier.

Yoh smoothed her silky hair away from her forehead. "Good morning, baby sunshine," he singsonged. She blinked drowsily. "Good morning, baby sunshine."

"Hi-hi," Anna said, beaming. She held out her arms to Yoh. "Betfus?"

"Yes, time for breakfast," he said. He picked her up and set her on his back.

"Yay!" Anna chirped. "Anna eat eggs 'n' bacon 'n' pancakes 'n' cereal 'n' berries 'n' chocolate milk 'n' faffles-"

"Faffles?" Yoh asked. He set her down on the counter.

"Iss!" Anna said. "Faffles! With butter 'n' syrup!"

He laughed and kissed the tip of her snub nose. "_Waffles_," he said.

She nodded vigorously. "That what Anna say! Faffles!"

"No faffles. How about some oatmeal?" Yoh was answered by a wrinkled nose and a stuck-out tongue. "But it'll be the way my mommy made it when I was little. With brown sugar and cream." She still looked wary, but allowed him to make the hot cereal.

The others came downstairs as the smell of food permeated the house. "Good morning, little baby doll!" Pilika said. She blew a raspberry on Anna's round cheek.

"Yoh, what are you going to do with Anna today?" HoroHoro asked. He ruffled her silky hair as she ate her oatmeal. "We have that meeting for new students at school."

Yoh slapped his forehead. "I forgot!" he moaned. They had been planning to attend the local public high school, but the parents collectively decided to send them to a private school in town instead.

"Ren can watch her!" Tamao suggested. "He went to Aizawa last year."

"Hm?" Ren said.

"You have to watch Anna-chan," Yoh said.

"What?" Ren screeched. "I am not watching a little girl all day!"

"Oh, please!" Yoh pleaded. "Look at the little angel!"

"Yoh, your little angel is sticking her head in the oatmeal bowl."

"She'll be so good!" Yoh promised. "You won't even know she's there. All you have to do is give her something to eat at lunchtime and put her down for her nap afterwards. We'll be back long before she wakes up."

Ren sighed. "I'll do it. As long as I don't have to…take her to the potty."

Yoh laughed. "She's too old for that," he said. "Thank you so much!"

"Yeah, whatever."

In half an hour, the gang was ready to set out. Anna had been cleaned up, put into a new sky-blue dress with a white collar, and her hair had been tied into two neat little braids. "Just make sure she doesn't get hurt," Yoh said. "Feed her, put her down for her nap. Pilika has her cell phone if you need me." He kissed Anna several times. "Be very very good for your Uncle Ren, all right?" Yoh and Anna exchanged kisses on the cheek, and then Yoh set her on Ren's lap. "Bye, Anna."

She waved as Yoh left. "Bye-bye!"

Ren looked down at the toddler on his lap. She smiled at him cheerfully. "Yes?" he said.

"Play with Anna?" she asked. "Please?"

"No," he said flatly. He went back to his book.

A little hand reached up and batted against the spike in his hair. "Poky!" Anna squealed. "Poky poky poky poky…"

Ren picked her up and set her on the floor. "No," he said. "Go play by yourself."

He had barely returned to his book when he heard a loud high-pitched wail. Anna was sobbing miserably. "You mean! You mean! You meeeeean! I call Auntie Pilika on you!"

_Yoh is going to _kill _me_, Ren thought. He grabbed the phone out of her hand before she could hit the speed-dial. "Now, now, Anna," he attempted. "Don't cry."

"Play with me?" she begged tearfully.

"Sure, whatever," Ren said.

"Hide and seek!" Anna chirped. "I go hidey, and you go seeky!"

"All right," Ren agreed. "Go hide."

"Count to eleventy-hundred first!" Anna shouted as she ran to go hide.

Ren meant to do the seeking part. He really did. But the book was so interesting, and he really wanted to find out what was going to happen to Harry…The next thing he knew, the door had opened and Yoh was dashing in.

"Hey!" he whispered. "Is Anna asleep?"

Ren slammed the book, hoping the "Rise and Fall of the Third Reich" dust jacket covering "Chamber of Secrets" would fool them. "Yes! I mean no! I mean…" He looked at the clock. "Oh, crap…"

Yoh grabbed him by the shirt collar. "What do you mean, 'oh crap'?" he asked.

"Anna and I were playing hide and seek and I…" he swallowed hard. "I kind of forgot to seek."

Yoh's eyes were nearly popping out his head. "How long ago did Anna hide?" he demanded.

"About…three hours ago?" Ren said meekly.

In a second he was on the floor as Yoh was running all over the house screaming Anna's name. "She could have fallen in the hot springs and drowned!" he exclaimed. "She could have hit her head! She could have pinched her finger in the door! She could be locked in a closet!" Yoh was clearly panicking. "ANNA!"

"What?" a grumpy little voice said. "You wake Anna up." Anna was standing in the doorway of the kitchen, rubbing her eyes sleepily. Her braids were tousled and her dress was rumpled.

Yoh grabbed her into his arms. "Oh, baby doll!" he exclaimed, hugging her tightly. "Where were you?"

Anna yawned. "Anna go hidey in the cupboard, but Anna went sleepies." She snuggled her head on his shoulder. "I hungry. Feed me."

Yoh kissed her cheek. "Sure, honey. I'll take care of you." He glared at Anna's erstwhile babysitter. "Unlike your Uncle Ren."

Ren winced.

Tamao poked her head in. "Manta's here. He brought the crib," she said. "I'll get Anna something to eat."

"All right," Yoh agreed. He handed Anna to Tamao. "She's probably starving."

"Hai!" Anna said.

-

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**Author's Notes:  
**Who else finds it amusing that Tao Ren is a Harry Potter fan? Personally, I think it's hysterical.

Also, please notice…MANTA ACTUALLY APPEARS IN THIS STORY! He's just so dull to write, in my opinion. There's nothing that really attracts me to his character.


	5. Chapter 5

Disclaimer: Shaman King belongs to Hiroyuki Takei and Shonen Jump, not me.

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Yoh, HoroHoro, Ren, and Manta all stared at the pieces of the crib. "How the heck are we supposed to put this thing together?" HoroHoro said. He picked two pieces up and tested them. "Widget 948 in Joint GV? I don't think so!"

"I'm sure it'll work out…" Yoh said. "It's just a crib, right? Not rocket science."

It might not have been rocket science, but by the time the crib was set up, it was time to tuck Anna into it. The guys were quite pleased with their work, until…

"NO!" she shouted, kicking Yoh in the stomach. "NO!"

"But you'll be in the same room as me," Yoh pleaded, talking louder to be heard over her sobs. "It's nice and safe and just perfect for you! Come on, Anna!"

"ANNA SNUGGLE WITH YOH! ANNA NO SLEEP ALONE!" Anna screamed. She pounded her tiny fists against his chest. Yoh held her at arms length.

"Anna, be quiet," he said in calm authority. The temper tantrum stilled. "Anna, are you afraid to sleep alone?"

She nodded.

Yoh drew her into a hug and pressed his cheek against her warm forehead. "Then I will stand over your crib and watch over you until you fall asleep, all right?" he said. "You're a big girl and you need to sleep by yourself like a big girl."

Anna nodded again, her face red with the exertion of her screams. She was exhausted now, and went willingly into her crib, laying her head on her pillow as Yoh turned off the overhead light and turned on the bedside lamp. Yoh tucked the sheet and quilt over her, then her soft yellow baby blanket. He picked up her stuffed duck. "Oh, he's a happy duck!" he sang, making the duckie dance on her tummy. Anna giggled and stretched out her little hands. She hugged the duck to her chest and stared up at him under sleepy, droopy lashes.

Yoh reached into the crib and stroked her forehead. Anna was warm and drowsy and smelled like her baby shampoo. He looked into her little face and began to sing her lullaby in the Shimane dialect of Japanese. His mother used to sing it to him and his brother when they were young, and it had never failed to soothe the restless little twins.

"Once upon a time, and long ago," Yoh sang. "I heard someone singing, soft and low. Now, when day is done, and night is near, I recall this song I used to hear." Anna sighed deeply. "My child, my very own, don't be afraid- you're not alone. Sleep until the dawn, for all is well." The little girl was fast asleep now, her lashes curling against her cheek and her small chest rising and falling deeply. "Long ago this song was sung to me; now it's just a distant melody. Somewhere in the past, I used to know, once upon a time, and long ago." He kissed her lightly on the forehead, wondering if, once upon a time in Anna's past, someone sang her to sleep with a gentle lullaby.

-

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**Author's Notes:**

The song is "Distant Melody" from the Comden and Green musical version of _Peter Pan._ I grew up on that show…so many great childhood memories. I thought it only appropriate for Yoh to sing it to baby Anna.


	6. Chapter 6

Disclaimer: Shaman King belongs to Hiroyuki Takei and Shonen Jump, not me.

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"It's only while we're at school!" Yoh whined. "Please? I can't take her to school with me every day!"

"Nein," Faust said.

"What, you'll take her for nine days?"

"No! Nein means no!"

"Oh. You could have just said no."

"Well, I can't take Anna. You'll have to take her to daycare."

"She'll hate that!"

"Oh, I am so sad."

"_Please _take Anna?"

"No! I am not a babysitter!"

"Fritz? Who is on the phone?" Yoh heard Eliza ask in the background.

"Yoh. He wants us to babysit little Anna."

"And you told him yes, of course."

"Well…well…uh…"

"JOHANN FAUST!" Eliza roared. "YOU WILL SAY YES IMMEDIATELY! _I_ WILL TAKE CARE OF HER!"

"Um…Yoh? Eliza says…we can take her," Faust said meekly.

"Great! I'll be by tomorrow at seven-thirty!" Yoh said.

Yoh was standing at the front door of the clinic by seven twenty-nine. Anna was perched on his hip, fast asleep and wearing her little nightgown. "Good morning, Faust," he said cheerfully.

"Why is she still sleeping?" Faust asked.

"Because she's only a baby," Eliza said. She held out her arms. "Give me the little one." She cooed softly as Yoh handed Anna to her. "What a little beauty. Hello, sweetheart." Eliza smoothed the yellow blanket around her. "What time should I put her down for her nap?"

"After she eats lunch, which is usually around eleven," Yoh said. "I have her clothes and toys in her bag." He leaned over and kissed Anna's cheek. "Take good care of her. I'll be back around three." Yoh waved goodbye.

Faust looked down at the little girl. "So…" he said. "What do we do now?"

"We are going to be her babysitters," Eliza said. She petted the soft fine hair. "What a pretty little thing. Look at her, Johan. Such a cherub." Eliza carried the sleeping baby into the office and laid her down on the cot, tucking her in snugly. Faust shrugged and went back to work.

About an hour he was interrupted by a high, thin wail. "I'll get her, I'll get her," Eliza said, hurrying past him.

Anna was sitting up in bed, hugging her stuffed duck and crying slightly. "Hello, my little darling," Eliza cooed. "Good morning. Did you have a good sleep?" Faust leaned back in his chair and looked into the clinic room. The sleepy toddler leaned heavily against Eliza, sucking on her pacifier as Eliza dressed her in a white tee shirt and a pink overalls jumper with white flower embroidering on the chest pocket and hem. "Let's go get some yummy breakfast, okay?"

Faust quickly went back to work as Eliza came in. "Say good morning to Anna, Johan," she said.

"Hello, Anna," he smiled. Anna opened and closed her little hand in a wave.

"Say hello to Papa Johan, Anna," Eliza coaxed.

"Hi-hi, Papa Johan," the baby repeated.

Eliza kissed the side of her head. "That's my sweet little girl," she praised. She bounced the toddler on her hip. "Breakfast time, liebchen, yummy breakfast."

Faust returned to his paperwork. He was too busy to play with a child, no matter how cute she might be.

It was around lunchtime that Eliza poked her head into his office. "Johan?" she said.

"What do you want?" he sighed, smiling.

"I have to run out to the store for a minute. I need you to put Anna down for her nap," Eliza pleaded. "Please?"

"Sure," he said.

"Danke," Eliza beamed. "I'll be back in about an hour."

True to her word, Eliza was back at exactly twelve-thirty. She tiptoed into the clinic. "Johan?" she whispered. "Johan, where-"

Faust was sitting at his desk, working. He was writing with his right hand, and his left arm was cradling a snoozing toddler. Anna slept soundly with her golden blonde head resting on his big broad shoulder. Her small arms were clasped around his neck. Faust looked up guiltily at his wife.

"She didn't want to sleep alone," he started to explain. "She kept clinging to me, so…" He rested his cheek lightly on her head. She sucked peacefully on her pacifier, the little plastic piece bobbing up and down. "Am I a fool?"

"Of course not," Eliza smiled. She kissed first her husband's lips, then Anna's forehead. "You're a wonderful man who deserves to have a baby of his own."

Anna whimpered into Faust's shoulder, twisting and squirming in a baby dream. Faust set his pen down and snuggled her against him, patting her narrow back with his big hand. She settled down quietly.

"You go take care of her," Eliza said. "I'll take care of the paperwork." Faust smiled at her and stood up, cuddling the toddler. He murmured something into Anna's soft chubby cheek.

"You like a little snooze, baby? A little snoozie for Anna-chan?" Faust kissed the innocent baby lips. "That's my liebchen."

He put the toddler down for her nap and let her sleep while he and Eliza worked. Around two-thirty they heard a little wail. Faust leaped up from his desk. "Good morning, madchen," he said, scooping her up into his arms. Anna stopped crying and buried her face in his chest, her round cheeks warm and rosy from sleep. "Let's go see Mama Liza, all right? Mama Liza can get you some snackies."

"Snackies?" Anna repeated.

"Yes, baby," Eliza cooed, taking Anna. "Let's get something in your little tummy before Yoh comes for you, okay?"

-

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**Author's Notes:**

I've always wondered what it would be like if Faust and Eliza had children. They always seemed to me like if they had gone on with their lives without interruption, there would have been babies. Many much babies.


	7. Chapter 7

Disclaimer: Shaman King belongs to Hiroyuki Takei and Shonen Jump, not me

Disclaimer: Shaman King belongs to Hiroyuki Takei and Shonen Jump, not me.

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When Yoh came home, Anna was happily perched on Faust's lap, nibbling on a cookie and giggling as Faust bounced her on his knee. "Yoh!" she squealed, reaching for him. Yoh picked her up, grinning as he felt her soft chubby warmth and breathed in her soft sweet baby smell. "I good for Papa Johan and Mama Liza!" Anna chirped.

"That's good, sweetie," he smiled. He patted her little back. "So, do you mind watching her every day while I'm at school?"

"Oh, no, not at all," Faust said quickly. "She's very sweet, very easygoing." He held his arms out to the baby. "Give me a kiss goodbye, liebchen?" She obliged, kissing Faust's cheek soundly. Then she stretched towards Eliza and kissed her.

"Bye-bye," Anna said sweetly. She wrapped her arms around Yoh's neck. "Pony ride! Pony ride, Yoh! Pony ride!"

"All right, all right," Yoh laughed, swinging the giggling toddler onto his shoulders. "Here we go!"

He gave Anna a piggyback ride all the way back to the house, opting to skip the bus ride for the wide-awake toddler. She wound her fingers in his thick silky hair, shouting with glee as she bounced on his back.

"Yoh?"

"What, baby doll?" he asked, blushing as an older woman smiled and laughed at the sight of the bouncy toddler on his shoulders.

"Why don't I have a mommy and a daddy?"

Yoh winced. He had been dreading this question. Luckily Anna rattled on to another question before he could answer. "Could Papa Johan and Mama Liza be my mommy and daddy?"

"No, honey," he said. "They can't be your mommy and daddy."

Anna pouted. "Why?"

"Because you have a real mommy and daddy, but they can't take care of you," Yoh said. Keiko had never really told him much about Anna's family; he only knew that they had abandoned her.

The little girl's chin began to tremble. "I want a mommy and daddy," she said.

Desperate to cheer her up, Yoh jostled her up and down, tickling her little knees. "You'll have a mommy and daddy," he said. "Give me a smile." She obliged, her smile widening and turning into a giggle as he squeezed her tummy.

"All right, Anna-baby," Yoh said. "Time to get down. I have to unlock the door." Anna skipped around him, singing a happy little nonsense song. "That's funny. I thought I locked this…"

"Mom called me," Hao said. "She said-" He looked down at the chibi. "Oh…f-"

"DADDY!" Anna squealed. She went running to Hao, stretching her little arms out. "Daddy daddy daddy daddy daddy!" Hao's eyes widened as she ran to his arms, leaping into his embrace. "Hi, Daddy!"

"Anna, I'm not your daddy…" Hao stammered. "I'm not, really, I'm not your daddy…" He picked her up by the back of her dress and held her out at arm's length.

Anna leaned forward and wrapped her arms around his neck. "I love you, Daddy," she sighed, petting her tiny hand against his shoulder.

Hao melted.

"Aw, Daddy wuvs you too," he said, nuzzling her cheek. "You is my pwecious widdle girl, yes you is."

Yoh cleared his throat.

Hao blushed.

Anna kissed Hao's cheek.

"Daddy," she said sweetly. "Will you buy me toys?"

"Anything you want," he said.

"Hao, you'll spoil her," Yoh said.

Hao pinched her rosy little cheek. "Nothing could ever spoil my little Anna," he said, petting her silky blonde hair. "Daddy wuvs his widdle cutie baby dollie-"

"Fine. Then you get to give her dinner and put her to bed," Yoh said. "I'm going to go for a run. Good luck, Hao!" Hao stared at him, stunned, as Yoh kissed Anna goodbye and started off on his jog.

There was a moment of silence.

"PLAY WITH ANNA, DADDY!" Anna squealed. "PLAY PLAY PLAY!"

"What do you want to play?" Hao asked warily.

"House!" she said. She nuzzled her little nose against his cheek. "I want to be the mommy. Ducky can be the daddy."

"And what about me, pookie?" Hao asked.

"YOU GET TO BE THE BABY!"

So when Yoh arrived at the house an hour later, he discovered a very interesting sight.

Hao was crammed into Anna's crib, his legs hanging off the sides. The tiny blonde was patting his hair and singing a little lullaby. Yoh grinned as he recognized his own song.

"As funny as this is," he said, sneaking up behind the chibi and swooping her up into his arms, "it's time for _this _little one to go sleepies."

"Not sleepy yet!" Anna protested. Her arguments turned to giggles as he swung her around and blew raspberries on her tummy.

"Go pick up your toys and I'll get you some dinner," Yoh said, setting her on her feet. Anna toddled away at top speed.

"Thank goodness!" Hao groaned. "My butt is asleep! Help me out!"

"Sure," Yoh said. "But first…" He pulled out a camera.

"No! Noooooo!"

Clickclickclick…

Pause.

"Are you done?"

"Almost."

Click.

"Okay, now I'm done."

All of a sudden Anna ran into the room, sobbing. Yoh dropped to his knees and opened his arms to her. "Anna, Anna, oh, honey!" The little girl wailed into his shoulder. "What is it, baby? What happened?"

"I falled on the stairs!" Anna sobbed. "I falled and it hurt! It hurt bad!" Bruises were rapidly developing on her forehead, arms, and knees. A red scrape was beginning to ooze blood on her chubby cheek.

"Okay, sweetie," Yoh soothed. He lifted her up, cradling her like a baby. "I'm here. I'll take care of you." He kissed her lightly. "It'll be okay. I'll get you some ice for your owies."

Hao watched his brother cradle the child. Anna's soft fair hair tumbled over Yoh's shoulder, blending with his dark hair. Hao smiled; it reminded him of an incident from long ago.

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**Author's Notes:  
**Hao plus small child equals pure joy.


	8. Chapter 8

Four years ago…

Disclaimer: Shaman King belongs to Hiroyuki Takei and Shonen Jump, not me.

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_Four years ago…_

"Anna!" Kino shouted. "Anna, get over here!"

The tiny ten-year-old scurried over to her mentor. "Yes?" she ventured shyly.

"We're hungry. Go make dinner," Kino ordered.

Yoh started to stand up. "I'll help," he offered.

"No," Kino said. "Anna will be caring for you when you're married. She needs to learn how to cook. She's such a stupid little creature; it'll take years for her to learn properly."

Yoh looked over at Anna. The little girl was peeling carrots, studying the careful orange curls as if she hadn't heard. But there was a slight shift of pallor in her face. He sat there, watching her out of the corner of his eye. After a while he started to fall asleep, but a sharp cry startled him.

"Anna?" he called.

"N-N-Nothing!" she stammered. "I just…I just…"

Yoh leaped up from the chair and dashed over to her. "Anna, that's not good!" he blurted out. The small blonde was clutching her right hand. A deep gash ran from the tip of her index finger to the heel of her palm. Blood ran over her small hands. Anna had gone completely white. "Anna, it'll be okay. I'll go get my mom and she can take you to get stitches." He put his arm around to steady her, surprised that she didn't slap him. "Just don't look at it and you'll be-"

"Anna!" Kino stormed over and slapped Anna across the face. "How could you be so careless, you little brat?"

"I'm sorry…" Anna whispered. Tears were rising in her dark eyes. "I didn't mean…the knife slipped…" Yoh felt her shaking. Her skin was cold. He tore off part of his shirt and wrapped it around her hand.

"Don't help her, Yoh," Kino snapped. "She is here to take care of you. She doesn't matter." She pulled Anna away from Yoh. "Bandage your hand and finish our dinner." Anna nodded. She staggered back over to the counter and picked up a paper towel.

And Yoh could only stand there.

--

The little girl's tears had died down into sad little whimpers. Yoh nestled her into the couch, surrounded by her blanket and her duckie. "There we are," he cooed, holding a small icepack against her forehead. "That's my baby." She hiccupped, staring up at him with wide teary eyes. Yoh kissed her cheek. "Just lie still and let me take care of you."

Anna's tiny fingers wound tightly around his, gripping him tightly.

Hao smiled.

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**Author's Notes:**

Anna-angst…


	9. Chapter 9

Disclaimer: Shaman King belongs to Hiroyuki Takei and Shonen Jump, not me.

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Hao stuffed a pillow over his head, groaning. The little voice was incredibly persistent.

"Daaaaaaaaaaaaaddy…"

He grunted.

"Daaaaaaaaaaaaaaddy…"

Hao pushed himself out and followed the little voice. Anna was standing at the top of the stairs, her yellow blankie trailing behind her and her pacifier in her mouth. "Daddy, I wanna go downstairs," she said. "I wanna go downstairs."

"How did you get out of your crib?" Hao asked.

Anna tapped her little chin thoughtfully. "Really carefully?" she tried.

He plunked down next to her on the top step. "Can't you go down by yourself?" he yawned.

She blinked. "I scared of stairs," she said. Anna stretched out her little arms. "Daddy, I wanna go downstairs."

Hao picked her up. "No, Anna-chan," he said. "It's four in the morning. You should still be asleep."

"I not tired," the blonde chibi protested. "I want to watch 'toons."

"No, no toons," Hao said. "Yoh is still sleeping, isn't he?" She nodded. "Then you get to come sleep in my room." He set the little girl down on his futon. Anna stared up at him, sucking on her pacifier. Hao laid down beside her, propping himself up on his elbow as he gazed up at her. He poked her in the tummy, eliciting a little giggle. "Are you a happy kid?"

"Happy kid," Anna repeated. She poked his cheek.

"Have you always been a happy kid?" he asked.

Anna shook her head.

Hao sat up. "When were you not a happy kid?" he asked.

She began to play with his long hair. "When I lived with oji-san."

"Who was your uncle?" he asked.

"Oji-san said I was bad," Anna said. Her dark eyes became solemn. "When I was bad, he would put me in the closet."

Hao drew her against him. "Did it scare you?" he asked softly.

She nodded. "He forgot me," Anna said. "I had, I had…" She stopped and studied her little fingers. "I had two sleeps in the scary closet."

He closed his eyes and hugged Anna against his chest. The little mite sucked on her pacifier and cuddled her blanket. "I'm sorry," he whispered. "I didn't know."

"I want Yoh now," Anna said. "Can I have my Yoh?"

Hao obliged by standing up, still cradling her in the crook of one arm, and carried her into Yoh's room. "Wake up," he said, nudging the sleeping form of his brother. Yoh grunted. "There's a little shbabe who wants you."

"Hm?" Yoh murmured. Hao set the toddler down next to Yoh. Anna nestled against him, resting her small rosy cheek against his. "What is it, sweetie?" He smoothed her hair back. "You want a snuggle?" Yoh tugged her closer and draped her thin warm blankie over her.

Hao crouched next down and covered Anna's small ears. "Abuse," he whispered.

Yoh blinked. "What?"

"Her uncle abused her," Hao said, his voice low and tight. Anna stroked Yoh's arm, not listening. "He locked her in the closet. She said that one time he left her in for two nights in a row."

Yoh's strong arms wrapped around the toddler, cuddling her close and burying his face in her soft sweet hair. "That could explain a lot," he murmured. He kissed her temple. Anna blinked, her long lashes brushing against his cheek. She placed her tiny hand on his ear and toyed with it. "Mwah!" Yoh said, kissing her hand. Anna giggled through her pacifier. Yoh tugged playfully on the mouthpiece. "What can we do today, honey?" He pulled the pacifier out.

"No stairs," Anna said.

He chucked her under the chin. "No stairs," he agreed.

"Movie," the chibi exclaimed. She rolled over onto her tummy, climbed onto Yoh's chest, and patted her small hands against his cheeks. "Movie! Movie!"

"I guess she wants to see a movie," Hao laughed. He picked up the baby and tossed her in the air, making her giggle. "We'll go see a fun movie."

"Passie!" Anna wailed. Yoh popped the little plastic piece into her mouth and she sucked on it amiably.

"But first, a little nappie so Anna-chan doesn't fall asleep," Yoh said. He tucked her into bed beside him and kissed her. "Good night."

"Nigh-nigh…" Anna said, cuddling in the crook of his arm. Hao tucked her in, kissed her nose, patted his brother on the head, and turned out the light. They were both asleep before he closed the door.

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**Author's Notes:**

…


	10. Chapter 10

Disclaimer: Shaman King belongs to Hiroyuki Takei and Shonen Jump, not me.

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After a good long nap, Anna was more than rested. She ran around the house, singing nonsense songs at the top of her lungs. HoroHoro was chosen as the one to chase her down.

"Come here, you little monster!"

"Kitty kitty kitty you are pretty pretty pretty…"

"Anna, come back here! I said come back!"

"Anna wish she was a Christmas tree…"

"Anna Kyoyama, come back here right this minute, or so help me, I'm going to count to three!"

"Eat veggy-tables with every meal…"

Yoh snuck up behind Anna and tossed her over his shoulder as she shrieked with laughter. "What are veggy-tables?" he asked, hanging her upside down from his arm.

"Veggy-tables, veggy-tables!" she giggled.

HoroHoro collapsed in the doorframe, gasping for breath. "So…I guess…you found her," he panted.

"I did, I did," Yoh said cheerfully, holding out Anna's baby-blue suede coat. "Put on your jacket on, honey, you'll get cold." Anna obediently slid her little arms in and let Yoh fasten the buttons over her denim jumper and pink long-sleeve shirt. Yoh adjusted her pink headband.

"Where Daddy?" Anna asked.

"Did someone call for her daddy?" Hao held out his arms. Anna ran to him, throwing her tiny arms around his neck. Yoh watched his brother with the little girl. He was handling her gently, lovingly, as if Anna was a fragile bit of glass. The toddler snuggled against him. "You ready to see a movie, lovey-chan? You all excited?"

"Iss!" Anna exclaimed, bouncing up and down. "See movie! See movie!"

"You got the tickets, didn't you?" Yoh said.

"Yeah, yeah, I did the merengue and got them." Hao gave Anna an Eskimo kiss.

"The merengue…oh, _Fandango_," Yoh said. "Which movie?"

"I don't know, something animated," Hao shrugged.

"I no know, something Anna-made," the toddler mimicked. She was rewarded with a kiss on each cheek by both brothers.

The whole group- Yoh, Hao, Anna, HoroHoro, Ren, Pilika, and Tamao- made it to the movie theater only ten minutes before the movie started. "Good thing I got our tickets in advance!" Hao said. He handed Anna off to Yoh, who set the three-year-old on his hip. "Four…no, five…no…ah, heck, I reserved tickets for Asakura…"

"Six adult, one child for Corpse Bride, theater 13," the chirpy ticket girl said, handing them the tickets.

"Corpse Bride?" Yoh exploded. "Corpse Bride? You got tickets for the Corpse Bride?!"

"Cors Bride?" Anna repeated, tilting her little blonde head to the side.

Hao shrugged. "Hey, it's animated, so it must be a kid's movie," he defended.

"It has the word _corpse _in the title, Hao!" Yoh screeched. "She's three! It's not going to be pretty!"

"Aw, she'll be all right," Hao said. He tickled Anna's little tummy. "Won't you, sweetie? You're going to like the movie that Daddy Hao picked out, aren't you?"

"Iss!" Anna squealed, bouncing up and down on Yoh's hip.

Yoh winced. "Come on," he sighed, trying to get her stop. "Let's go watch the movie."

"POPCORN!" Anna shrieked, tugging on his shirt. "ANNA WANT POPCORN! ANNA WANT POPCORN!"

"Okay, okay, okay!" Yoh said. "Hao-"

"Go on," his brother said. "You take the munchkin, I'll get the food."

Anna squirmed as Yoh carried her to the theater. "Want down!" she whined. "Anna walk!"

Yoh set her down and she took off running. "Don't wander off," he warned. "Stay with me. Anna, sweetie- no…Anna! Anna Kyoyama!" The little blonde toddler darted through the crowed, giggling. Yoh stopped. It was time to pull out the big guns.

"ANNABELLE ROSE KYOYAMA, COME HERE THIS MINTUE!"

The tiny tot screeched to a halt. She paused for a minute, then slumped back towards Yoh with her head hanging in shame. Anna stared at the ground as she walked back, and bumped into his leg.

"You say my three names," she sniffled. "I in trouble?"

Yoh smiled as he picked her up. "Just a little bit of trouble, sweetie," he said. Anna perked up a bit as they made their way into the theater. They joined the others in the seats at the middle of the theater. Anna started off on Yoh's lap. After a few minutes she slid off his knees and moved to HoroHoro.

"Up!" she said. "Up!" The snowboarder obliged. Then she started to get bored. Anna leaned over his arm and lunged for Ren.

"Hold Anna," she pleaded. Ren sighed heavily, but he couldn't ignore her forever. He picked her up. Two minutes later…

"Tamao!" Anna squeaked.

"That's enough, kiddo, you need to sit down," Yoh said. He set Anna on his lap as Hao slid into the seat next to them and the theater darkened.

"Popcorn," he said cheerily. Anna started squealing in delight, but a couple of people started shushing at her.

Yoh hugged her and covered her mouth with his fingers. "Sh, sh, baby doll," he whispered. "You have to be quiet in the movie. Eat some popcorn." He popped a piece in her mouth. Anna quieted instantly, opening her mouth like a baby bird for more popcorn. She snacked quietly during the previews, and giggled at the sight of the butterfly in the opening sequences of the movie. Yoh started to relax. She was tougher than she looked, after all. He leaned back in his seat, settled Anna against him, and continued to feed her popcorn. He was lulled into a sense of false security, though, because as soon as the Corpse Bride burst through the ground, Anna started screaming.

"Anna, Anna, it's okay, it's just a movie," he tried to reassure her.

Hao leaned over and took her into his arms. "I'll take her out," he whispered. "You watch the movie."

He carried the screaming, sobbing child out of the theater. There was a small park nearby, so Hao sat down on a bench. Anna draped herself over his broad shoulder, wailing. He rubbed her little back. "It's all right, sweetheart," Hao whispered. He fumbled in his pocket and pulled out her pacifier. "You want your passie? You want it?" She opened her mouth and the sobs silences as she sucked on it. Hao stroked her tears away. "That scared you, didn't it, doll?" Anna nodded. "But you know what can help you from being scared? You can tell me or Yoh. Especially Yoh. We can take care of you and make all of the scaries go away." He stood her up on his knees. "Now, can you give me kiss and a smile?" She obliged with the kiss, popping the pacifier out just long enough to plant a kiss on the jaw so many woman had proclaimed strong and manly.

"Aw, I want a smile, too," he said. Hao tickled her lightly under the chin. "Can I have a smile? Can I have a smile now?" Anna's little smile turned into happy baby laughter as Hao tickled her. "All right, all right, that'll do. Want to get down and play?" She nodded, slipping off of his lap and toddling towards the rest of the kids at the playground.

Hao leaned back on the bench. He rarely thought about his past lives, but having a baby around was making him think about his own babies. Back when he was in the Patch tribe, he had had a wife. Sorsha.

She was a beautiful woman, tall with long dark hair and deep dark eyes. They had had two children, a boy and a girl. The little girl, his Kiya, died during the shaman tournament. A snakebite, Sorsha had told him. He'd been so busy with the fight that he didn't even find out until a week after his pretty little daughter had died. Of course, back then…he had been a different person. The life of a child, even his own, hadn't mattered in the course of his journey to be the Shaman King. But now…if little Anna died…he would weep. To see her active little body still and quiet, her small voice silenced- it would kill him as well.

"I'm gonna tell my daddy on you!"

Hao started. A group of six year old boys were squabbling with the smaller children over the swings. A couple of them had already given up the swings, but feisty little Anna was kicking the bigger boys in the shins with all her might.

"You mean! You mean! I tell my daddy! I tell my daddy and he beat you up! He beat you up bad! I beat you up bad!" she shouted.

"Yes, her daddy will beat you up," Hao said, coming to stand behind the little girl with his arms folded. "You older kids need to be nice to the little ones, all right? Or the daddies and mommies will be very, very unhappy with you."

The older kids sullenly let the small ones onto the swings. "Daddy, Daddy, push me!" Anna giggled. "Push me higher! Higher, Daddy!"

She swung back and forth, back and forth, her little legs pumping and her golden hair blowing back. Hao pushed her on the swing, enjoying her little-girl giggles.

"Anna!" The movie had ended, and he was making his way over to the park. "Anna, are you all right?"

"Catch me!" Anna shouted. "Catch me, Yoh! Catch me!"

Hao watched the emotions play over his brother's face. He could tell that Yoh was thinking of Anna…the grown up Anna. "Of course, Anna," Yoh whispered. "I'll always catch you."

The little girl tumbled out of the swing and flew into Yoh's arms. He caught her tightly. "Anna, are you all right?" he asked, kissing her soft cheeks and her silky hair. "You want to go home now, Nan?"

The child blinked. "Nan?" she repeated.

Yoh thought she was playing her mimic-game again. "You're a silly girl," he laughed.

Anna stiffened in his arms. "Nan," she murmured. "Daddy called Anna 'Nan'."

"I've never called you Nan," Hao said.

"Not you, Daddy," she whispered. "My daddy. My _real _daddy." She turned to Yoh. "Anna want to go home now."

Yoh took Anna's blanket out of her baby bag and draped it around her. She pressed her cheek on his shoulder. "All right, honey," he said softly. "Let's go home."

The others laughed and talked about the movie, but Yoh sat in silence next to Anna's carseat. She was fast asleep, her blanket covering her and her pacifier tucked into her mouth. Her tiny hand clutched Yoh's finger as he studied her little face.

"What are you going to do?" Hao asked quietly.

"I don't think I can help her much more," Yoh confessed. "She needs a mother's touch now."

"She obviously didn't get much of that in her own childhood," Hao said. "She can't remember anything about her parents, except that her father called her Nan. And she talked about her uncle and the closet…"

"I never knew," Yoh whispered. "I wonder how much of it she remembers. If she can still remember the pain and the terror. It must've affected her more than we ever realized."

"And it might not have all been physical," Hao warned. "It's surprising how many people prey upon children as young as Anna. She could have been molested or-"

"Stop it, Hao," Yoh said tensely. "I don't want to think about her in those situations."

"Just because you don't think about it doesn't mean it didn't happen to her," Hao said. "I'm sure there's some sort of medical test-"

"I'm not putting her through that, Hao," Yoh said. He stroked a stray strand of fine, clinging hair away from Anna's forehead. "She's just a baby. Maybe…when the grown-up Anna comes back…I can ask her- but not now." He touched his lips against her temple. "Right now, she's an innocent child, and I refuse to take that away from her."

-

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**Author's Notes:**

I've always wondered about Hao's past lives. I mean, he had to have been married with children, or at least have children, in order to be Yoh's ancestor.

If you've ever seen the name "Annabelle Rose" appear in a story as Anna's full name, let me just say that I created it. Feel free to use it, though, if you want to.

Also: contains references to the original webisodes of Making Fiends.


	11. Chapter 11

Disclaimer: Shaman King belongs to Hiroyuki Takei and Shonen Jump, not me.

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The doorbell chimed. "That's for me!" Yoh said, scrabbling to his feet.

"Who that, Yoh?" Anna asked, toddling after him. "Who that? Who that? Who that?"

Yoh opened the door. "Hey, Mom," he grinned.

Keiko Asakura hugged her youngest son. "Hi, baby," she said. "Oh, I haven't seen you in so long!"

"Yeah, it's nice to see you too," Yoh said. "All right. Mom, I want you to meet Anna. Anna, this is my mama."

Anna wrapped her arms around Yoh's knee. Keiko bent down to her level. "Hi, sweetheart," she said softly. "Can I hold you, please?" The little girl moved shyly towards her. Keiko picked her up. "Oh, you're a sweet little thing," she murmured. "I'd forgotten how little she was at this age. What a little doll."

"I see Mom has already succumbed to the charms of the child," Hao grinned.

Keiko held out her free arm to hug her oldest son. "I succumbed to her years ago, my darling," she said. "Have these big boys been taking good care of you, pumpkin?"

"Iss," Anna nodded. "Good care."

"Well, I'll make sure they do," Keiko smiled.

"How long are you staying, Mom?" Hao asked.

"Just a day or two," Keiko answered. "Yoh called me up and asked me to come." Anna tucked her fingers into her mouth, making Keiko smile. "Oh, I remember when she used to do that. She'd curl up with her blanket and suck her fingers and be content for hours."

"That's one of the reasons I called you up, Mom," Yoh said. He reached over and brushed Anna's hair out of her eyes. "I wanted to ask you some questions about Anna when she was little."

"That's what I'm here for," Keiko said. "We might want to sit down first, though."

"You want anything to drink, Mom?" Hao asked.

"Water, please," Keiko said. "Do you want anything to drink, Anna?"

She popped her fingers out of her mouth. "Choc'late milk," she announced.

"Water and a chocolate milk," Hao said. "I'll get them."

Keiko sat down on the couch and settled Anna on her lap. "Your dress is lovely, Anna," she said.

"'Sank you," Anna said politely. Today her dress was white, with a sunshine-yellow sash. Her blonde hair was clipped into a ponytail with a white barrette.

"Water for you, mother dearest," Hao said, handing her a glass. "And chocolate milk for the little princess." Anna beamed as she took the sipper cup.

"So what questions do you have for me?" Keiko asked after she took a drink of water.

Yoh leaned his elbows on his knees. "Was Anna abused?" he asked bluntly.

Keiko sighed heavily. She smoothed the little girl's blonde hair. "Yes," she said. "Yes, Anna was abused. And badly, at that."

"We've seen some of the signs," Hao said in a low voice. "Her personality can change quickly."

"Yesterday I called her by a nickname, and she clammed up."

"And she mentioned an uncle who locked her in a closet."

Anna was still placidly sipping her chocolate milk, oblivious to the conversation. She rested her head on Keiko's shoulder. "That's about the same amount of information we could coax out of her," Keiko said. "She was tremendously claustrophobic, and hated to be alone at any time. We were able to gather that she associates being alone to being abused. Her uncle would punish her by separating her from her brothers, and would lock her up."

"Brothers?" Yoh said. "She had brothers?"

"Two of them," Keiko nodded. "One older, and one about the same age. We think he was her twin."

"Does anyone know what happened to them?" Hao asked.

"We tried," Keiko said. "We tracked down several families in the Aomori region that matched Anna's vague descriptions, but none of them were right. And besides, they abandoned her. It's not like they wanted her back."

"What happened on the night she was abandoned?" Yoh asked. He had never heard so much about Anna's childhood, or lack thereof.

"Your grandmother told me about it," Keiko said. "Anna was scarcely bigger than this…"

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**Author's Notes:  
**….


	12. Chapter 12

Disclaimer: Shaman King belongs to Hiroyuki Takei and Shonen Jump, not me.

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Kino trudged through the snow. The spirits had told her to come here, but it was the last place she wanted to be. She could feel the roiling and tumbling of the spirits of the river. Despite the freezing cold, the water was still moving fluidly, thanks to the high concentration of ghosts and spirits. She could feel them pressing against her on all sides. Some were friendly. Some were not. And only a strong shaman could withstand the pressures of so many external emotions.

Which was why the scrap of gold in the snow startled her.

For a moment she assumed it was a broken pinwheel, but no, the pinwheels were usually red. She made her way through the drifts of snow, and discovered that the shining gold was the golden hair of a small child. Kino brushed the thin layer of snow away, revealing the prone body of a baby.

_The river has claimed another_, she thought briefly, but the shallow rise and fall of the tiny chest startled her. The toddler was alive.

Kino struggled to lift the child against the weight of the wind. The baby's limpness made it seem heavy, although in reality the toddler weighed very little. Kino could feel fragile bone sharply through soft, paper-thin skin.

The walk back to the complex took longer than she expected. She was old, after all, and balancing a comatose baby while walking with a cane took effort. But she made it back, and summoned one of her older students.

Hinata, a pretty girl of about sixteen, came at her call. "Yes, sensei?" she said.

"Take this," Kino said, handing her the baby.

"Oh!" Hinata exclaimed. "Where did you…"

"By the river," Kino explained. Hinata cradled the child carefully. "Give it a bath and something to eat if it wakes, then report back to me."

Hinata nodded as Kino limped away. The toddler drooped in her arms, unresponsive and silent. Hinata made her way to the bathroom to fill up the tub with piping hot water.

The child was wearing nothing but a thin, ragged nightdress and a dirty yellow blanket. Hinata undressed the toddler carefully, noticing that it was a girl baby. She also noticed the sight of extensive bruising along the shoulders, chest, lower stomach, and the backs of the knees. The baby still showed no signs of rousing until Hinata began to cautiously lower the toddler into the bathwater. The tiny girl whimpered, her little rosebud mouth opening in a small, soft wail. "Yes, yes, I know," Hinata cooed. She poured handfuls of water over the little girl, getting her used to the feel of the hot water. "You'll feel better soon, little angel."

Hinata continued to bathe the little girl, washing her matted blonde hair and her dirty, scrawny body with milk and honey scented soap. The child woke slowly, her dazed dark eyes staring at her surroundings in a dull haze. She regained full consciousness, her alert brown eyes studying Hinata's face as she finished her bath.

"Isn't that nice?" Hinata smiled as she opened the drain. "Here we are." She lifted the little girl out of the bathtub and wrapped her in a thick towel. The toddler's wet head drooped on Hinata's shoulder. "Oh, poor sleepy darling. Let's get you some clean clothes, shall we?"

Kino kept a bin of cast-off clothing in a large closet. Hinata ruffled through it, the toddler still nestled on her hip, and managed to find a child-sized flannel nightgown. It would be too big, but it would keep her warm. The toddler was complacent as Hinata dressed her, but as the sixteen-year-old reached for the child's old clothes to throw them away, she burst into tears.

"Mine!" the baby wailed. "Lello! Mine!" Her voice sounded raspy and phlegmy, and she broke into a coughing fit. Hinata handed her the still-snowy yellow blanket, and the child's tears stopped.

"Well, then," Hinata said. "Now that you're all clean and shiny and warm, let's put something in your empty little tummy."

The kitchen had been closed for several hours, but Hinata set the little girl down on the counter and set to work heating up a saucepan full of broth. When it was warm but not too hot she poured some of the contents into a baby bottle. "Are you hungry?" she asked, holding out the warm bottle.

The toddler grabbed it, shoving the latex nipple into her mouth and sucking it eagerly. Hinata heard soft little gulping noises as the toddler drained the bottle dry rapidly.

"I see she's awake," Kino said.

Hinata nodded, tucking a strand of damp blonde hair behind the child's ear. "She woke while I was giving her her bath."

Kino reached over and took the child's bottle out of her mouth. The little girl's jaw dropped in astonishment. "What's your name, child?" she asked.

"Mine!" the little girl wailed.

"What's your name?" Kino repeated. The toddler continued to whimper. "Tell me your name, you naughty child!" The old woman's kimono sleeve slipped over the head of her cane. She raised her hand to shake it away, but it elicited a completely unwarranted reaction from the toddler.

The little girl backed away, eyes wide. "No, no, no!" she sobbed. She cowered, covering her golden head with her arms and drawing her tiny knees up to her chest. "No hurt! No touch! No hurt Anna! Anna good! Anna good!"

Hinata cast a frightened glance towards her sensei. Kino's expression didn't change as she handed Anna the bottle. Anna continued to cry, curling up into a tight little ball.

Suddenly the mysterious bruising made a great deal more sense.

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**Author's Notes:  
**This chapter went through a lot revisions and almost appeared in half a dozen stories I wrote before showing up here.


	13. Chapter 13

Disclaimer: Shaman King belongs to Hiroyuki Takei and Shonen Jump, not me.

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Hao leaned against the doorway. "You're really taken with her," he commented.

Keiko smiled as the pretty little toddler busily fastened the buttons of her doll dress. "She's so sweet," she said. "Still innocent." Anna frowned at the button and handed the doll to Keiko. Keiko fixed it and handed it back. Anna beamed. "I begged Kino to let me raise her, you know," Keiko said softly. "I always wanted a little girl. It took me years to have you two, and after that…well, there would be no more babies for me." Keiko smoothed Anna's soft loose hair.

"Why didn't Kino let you have her?" Hao asked. He already knew the answer, but he wanted to hear it for himself.

"She wasn't interested in raising a little girl," Keiko said. "She was only interested in raising a wife for your brother." Her mouth twisted. She reached over, picked up Anna, and placed her on her lap. Anna placidly continued to play with her doll.

"Not really a wife, though," Hao said. "More like a concubine."

Keiko nodded ruefully. "She never had a normal childhood," she said. "Mikihisa and I wanted so badly to raise her ourselves, but we weren't even allowed to give her birthday presents."

Anna continued to ignore the conversation going on above her head. Instead, she wrapped her yellow blanket around her doll and cradled it in her arms like an infant. "'Lo, baby," she cooed. She kissed the doll's forehead. "I your mommy, baby. Do you like your mommy, baby?" She made the doll nod. "Good! Because Mommy likes you." She kissed the doll again. Keiko hugged Anna tightly and brushed her lips against her round cheek.

--

"Where's Mom?" Yoh asked.

"She left," Hao said. He handed a sipper cup to Anna, who grasped it eagerly.

"What?" Yoh exclaimed. "She can't leave! I need her!"

"Aw, you want your mommy?" Hao asked.

Yoh rolled his eyes. "Not like that, Hao, I need someone to watch Anna during school tomorrow," he said. "Faust and Eliza have to go down to the city hospital for a surgery and can't watch her." He paused. Yoh smiled at Hao.

"I can't, little brother," Hao said. "I have plans. I'd babysit if I could, but I can't."

Yoh sighed. "I guess…I guess Anna has to come to school with me tomorrow," he said.

"Are you allowed to do that?" Hao asked.

Yoh shrugged. "I had Tamao call, just in case. They said it would be okay, as long as it's only one day," he said. "We just have to keep an eye on her."

"Good luck with that," Hao said.

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**Author's Notes:  
**…


	14. Chapter 14

Disclaimer: Shaman King belongs to Hiroyuki Takei and Shonen Jump, not me.

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"Are you sure they'll let me bring her to school?" Yoh worried.

Pilika rolled her eyes. "For the twelfth time, yes!" she exclaimed. "Ren cleared it with the principal already. It's just for one day, so it'll be all right."

"We'll make sure she doesn't get into trouble," HoroHoro said.

"Look who's all ready for school!" Tamao said.

"Me! Me!" Anna squealed. "Lookie my dress!" She spun around, making the pleated skirt of her tiny sailor uniform flare. The sides of her hair had been drawn back with a big bow.

"How can she stay upright with such a huge ribbon?" HoroHoro muttered.

--

Anna made quite a splash at Aizawa Academy. The precocious cherub toddled alongside Yoh, clinging to his hand and beaming at everyone she passed by. Yoh kept a nervously tight grip on her small fingers.

"Yoh, you hold hard," she complained.

"I'm sorry, sweetie," he said, loosening slightly. "I just don't want to lose you."

"I no get lost," she said. "I stay with you."

But that's exactly what happened.

Yoh went into his biology class, which was held in a large lecture hall. He got settled and started taking notes, but Anna was bored.

"I thirsty," she whispered loudly. "Yoh, Yoh I thirsty."

"Mm-hm," he said absentmindedly, scribbling DNA strands in large swirls.

Anna got up and toddled towards the door. No one noticed as she skipped down the empty halls, singing to herself. She found a water fountain and took a long, noisy drink. When she finished, she stepped back and looked around.

"Yoh?"

Her small voice echoed. The hallways were empty. And she had no idea where she was.

"Yoh?" Anna called. Her tiny shoes made little clicking noises on the floor. "Yo-oh…" Her little chin trembled, but she didn't cry. "Yoh, Anna want to go home."

The hallway stopped, and Anna found herself staring at two doors. She picked one at random and pushed it open, stepping inside even though the door was clearly marked as BOYS LOCKER ROOM.

The locker room was filled with senior guys straight out of gym class. It was incredibly noisy, but not so noisy that the ones closest noticed the door opening.

"Hey, who-" The guy's eyes widened. "Uh….Crap it."

"Crap what?"

The locker room gradually fell silent as thirty senior guys looked down at a tiny little girl. "Yoh here?" she ventured.

"Yoh?" one of them repeated. "Yoh who? I don't know who he is. You need to go away, kid. This is the boy's locker room."

The oppression of thirty male eyes staring at her was too much. The toddler burst into terrified tears. "I wanna go home!" she wailed.

"What are we supposed to do with her?" one of the guys whispered.

The tears intensified. Her shoulders slumped and her head tilted back as she sobbed uncontrollably, big teardrops streaming down her round cheeks. And thirty stunned football players just stared at her.

"What's going on?"

Another guy- a huge, hulking guy, actually- had wandered in from the back. "Man, I have no idea! " his friend exclaimed. "The kid just came in here, asked us where somebody named Yoh was, and then turned on the waterworks!"

The big guy knelt in front of the little girl. "What's your name?" he asked.

She sniffled. "Anna," she answered him. "Where Yoh? Anna want Yoh!" The sobs began to return.

"Hey, don't cry, kiddo," the quarterback soothed. He rubbed her tears with a huge thumb. "We'll find Yoh, don't worry. We'll go down to the office and see the nice lady who can page Yoh, and then I can get you a popsicle. You like that?" She nodded. "How old are you, Anna-chan?"

Anna sniffled and held up three fingers. "This many," she whispered.

"You're that many? You're almost as old as me." The quarterback picked Anna up, talking to her quietly as he carried her out.

--

The bell rang. Yoh gathered his books and notebooks up and shoved them in his backpack. "All right, Anna, let's go," he said, stretching. "Anna?"

He looked around. Maybe she had fallen asleep like she had during his English class. But no, she was nowhere in sight.

"I lost Anna," he whispered. His heart thudded into his shoes. "I lost Anna. I lost Anna!"

He tore down the hallway, calling her name. No answer, just some funny looks. There was no sign of her.

"Yoh, where are you going?" Tamao called. "It's lunchtime!"

"Can't eat! Lost Anna!" he shouted. "Has anyone seen a toddler?"

"You're looking for a toddler?"

Yoh skidded to a stop. "Yes!" he said breathlessly. "A little girl, a little girl named Anna. She's blonde, in a white dress, and-"

"She's right over there," the cafeteria worker said, pointing to a table in a corner. "Sai Kashino has her."

Yoh looked over and realized Anna was sitting on the lap of the star Aizawa Private quarterback, her sticky popsicle-covered fingers leaving little blue marks on his jersey. "Anna!" he called.

The little blonde head popped up. Her face lit up when she recognized him, and she grabbed Sai's cheeks. "That my Yoh! That my Yoh!" she crowed.

"I see," Sai said. He picked her up, not minding the eager sticky fingers pressing against his face and clothes. "You're her Yoh?"

"Yes, yes, I'm her Yoh," he said. "Anna, come here, baby. Come here, sweetie." He reached out and took her from the football star, squeezing her tightly. "Oh, I thought I lost you!"

"I wanted a drink," Anna said sweetly.

"Don't wander off like that again!" Yoh said. "You hear me?" He kissed her soundly on the cheek, then turned to Sai. "Thanks for finding her."

"No problem," he said. "My brother has a little girl about her age." Sai kissed the top of Anna's head. "Be a good girl for Yoh, okay?"

"Okay," she beamed.

"She's a cutie," Sai said. "She looks an awful lot like the cute girl who follows you everywhere."

Yoh jumped. "Cute girl?" he stammered. "Follows me everywhere? You mean…Anna Kyoyama?"

"I guess that's her name," Sai shrugged. "The little blonde one with the big eyes. Are they related?"

"Yeah, yeah, they're…cousins," Yoh said.

Sai patted Anna on the head. Anna preened. "Take good care of her," he said. "See you around, honey."

Anna waved. "He was nice," she said.

Yoh stared. _The little blonde one…with the big eyes…who follows me everywhere…_

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**Author's Notes:  
**Sai's from another anime, I just can't remember what it is at the moment.


	15. Chapter 15

Disclaimer: Shaman King belongs to Hiroyuki Takei and Shonen Jump, not me.

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"I think it's a good idea!'

"I think you're nuts."

"But every little kid loves going there! She'll have so much fun!"

"Daddy?"

Yoh and Hao whirled around. Anna stood in the doorway, yellow blankie clutched in one small fist. She rubbed her eyes drowsily. "Daddy, I want snackies."

"How did you get out of your crib?" Hao asked. He picked her up and set her on his knees.

Anna smiled devilishly but sleepily. "I clever," she said.

"Yes, yes you are," Yoh said. He folded his arms. "Hao, I still think it's a bad idea."

"Oh, come on, she'll love it." Hao bounced Anna on his knees. "Anna, what do you think?"

"T'ink about what?" Anna inquired.

"Would you like to go to Disneyland?" Hao asked.

Anna's eyes widened. "Disneyland?" she repeated. "What that?"

"See, Hao, she doesn't even know what it is," Yoh said.

"It has princesses," Hao said.

Anna leaped off of Hao's lap. "Princesses!" she squealed. "Anna want to go! Anna want to go to the place with the princesses!"

Yoh sighed. "Now you've done it." He took Anna on his lap. "Anna, are you sure you want to-"

"Princesses!" Anna shouted. She pressed her small hands against the sides of Yoh's face. "Yoh, you take Anna to see princesses, yes?"

Yoh made a muffled moan between his closed lip. "Yes," he said. "Yes, I'll take you to see the princesses."

Anna beamed. "Thank you," she said. She slid off of Yoh's knees. "And now, snackies. Snackies, Daddy."

"I'll get the snacks if you make the reservations," Yoh said to Hao.

"Deal," Hao said. "We'll leave the day after tomorrow for Disneyland." He grinned wickedly.

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**Author's Notes:**

D'neyland is AWESOME!


	16. Chapter 16

Disclaimer: Shaman King belongs to Hiroyuki Takei and Shonen Jump, not me.

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Ren balanced Anna on his hip. The sleeping toddler nestled her golden head on his shoulder, a small heap of yellow blanket in his arms. "I told you this was a waste," he grumbled. "She's just going to sleep through the whole thing. She won't even see the princesses, she'll just sleep through it."

"Oh, she'll wake up," Hao assured him. "She'll wake up. And then we won't be able to get her to still."

"Oh, joy," Ren mumbled.

"Hurry!" Yoh shouted. "It's time for the rope drop!"

A line of cast members stood at the front of the park, holding a long white rope and beaming smiles too bright and happy for this early in the morning. "Look, they're not even open yet," Ren continued. "Let's just go home."

Yoh picked Anna up. "No, no, they're going to drop the rope, and we're going to go straight to Space Mountain," he said.

"Awice."

Yoh blinked. "Huh?"

Anna tugged sleepily on his ear. "Awice. Awice in Wonduhwand," she lisped.

"Alice in Wonderland?"

"I wanna ride on Awice!" Anna said. "Awice Awice Awice!"

"See, now she's awake," Hao grinned.

"All right, all right, Alice first," Yoh said. "Look! There she is!"

He pointed to the front. Sure enough, the pretty blonde heroine skipped up to the rope, flanked by Grumpy the dwarf on one side and Pinnochio on the other. "Awice!" squealed Anna. "Look, she's got lello hair too! And…and…MICKEY!"

The iconic mouse, dressed in a black and white tuxedo, made his way to the front. "Oh boy!" he said. "Good morning, everyone!"

"GOOD MORNING, MICKEY!" Anna shouted.

"Ladies and gentlemen," a voice over the loudspeaker boomed, "Tokyo Disney is proud to welcome you into the gates of our park, where all your wishes come true!"

With a grand flourish the white rope fell away, and the amassed crowd flooded the gates.

"Charge!" screeched Pilika. She galloped to the front, Tamao and HoroHoro at her heels. "Onward to Splash Mountain!"

"Ah, screw it," said Ren. He broke into a run, waving his arms in the air. "Wait for me! I want to sit in the front of the log! Hey, wait for me!"

"Awice!" squealed Anna. "Awice Awice Awice!"

"Okay, okay, let's go see Alice," Yoh said. He found the line that had quickly formed to meet the curious heroine and darted into place before it was overtaken by a crowd of tourists.

"Wanna see Awice!" Anna crowed.

"I know, I know, we're going to see Awice," Yoh said. "I mean Alice."

The line moved surprisingly quick, although for anyone with a child under the age of six it couldn't move fast enough. Soon Yoh was standing in front of Alice in Wonderland with a suddenly shy Anna clinging to his neck.

"Why, hello, dear," Alice said.

"Say hello to Alice, Anna," Yoh coaxed. She shook her head, burying her face in Yoh's shoulder.

"Is your name Anna?" Alice asked. Anna peeked out and nodded shyly. "What a perfectly lovely name! My name is Alice." She held out her hand.

Anna suddenly leaned forward towards her. "Hi hi," she said sweetly.

Alice gave her a hug. "Are you having a good time?" she asked.

"You're Anna's favorite!" the toddler suddenly shouted.

Alice laughed, clapping her hands. "I'm so glad!" she bubbled. "It's my unbirthday today, and that's the loveliest present anyone could give me!" She bent down to Anna's eye level. "Is today your unbirthday?"

Anna paused. "Yes," she said solemnly.

"We have the same unbirthday!" Alice said. "What a coincidence!" She beckoned to Anna and whispered conspiratorially, "You know, I wouldn't be surprised if you ever go to Wonderland." Anna's eyes grew big. She nodded, gave a big smile, and started to lean back towards Yoh.

"Would you like to take a picture?" Alice asked. Anna nodded enthusiastically and wriggled to be put down. Yoh did, and she toddled over to Alice. "Say wonderland!"

"Wonderwand!" beamed Anna as Hao took her picture.

"Goodbye, Anna!" Alice said. "Be careful around white rabbits!"

"Anna will!" she called. "I wike Awice."

"I'm glad," Yoh said, kissing her on the cheek. "Now, where does Anna want to go now?"

"Everywhere!" shouted Anna.

Sure enough, they went everywhere, but everywhere was mostly Fantasyland. Yoh and Hao heard more Disney music in the span of two and a half hours than they had heard their entire life. They rode the carousel three times, the Winnie the Pooh ride twice, and rode the Mad Tea Party teacups until their heads nearly exploded.

"That's more fun than I ever expected to have," Hao puffed.

Yoh checked his watch, forcing his dizzy eyes to focus. "It's noon. We should meet everybody else over by Splash Mountain," he said.

"Okay," said Hao, stumbling sideways. "I'm just going to run by the bathroom…really quickly…I'll meet you there."

The twins split up in opposite directions. Not a bad plan…but each assumed the other had the toddler.

Anna watched the Merlin sword-in-the-stone show with wide-eyes, but quickly grew distracted. "Yoh, wanna ride Awice again," she said. She stopped and pouted. "Daddy, Anna wanna ride Awice." The pout turned into tears. "Yoh? Daddy?"

Anna ran through the crowd of tall tourists, laughing and chatting, mesmerized by their colorful surroundings. "Daddy? Yoh?" she called. She looked all around. There was no sign of them.

Anna tripped over her small shoelaces, falling by a fountain. "Daddy! Yoh!" she sobbed. "Anna lost! Anna lost!" She buried her face in her little hands.

A gentle touch on the top of her head startled her. "Are you lost, little princess?" a sweet, melodious voice asked.

Anna looked up, her round cheeks stained with tears, into the most beautiful face she had ever seen. She looked from the beautiful face to the statue in the fountain next to her, then back at the face. "Cinderewwa," she said reverently.

Cinderella knelt beside her, resplendent in her pale blue and silver crown, her golden hair gleaming in the sunlight. "Are you all right, princess?" she asked.

Anna rubbed her eyes. "Anna can't find Yoh or Daddy," she sniffed. Her lips trembled, and she burst into tears again.

"Oh, poor princess," Cinderella said. She gathered the sobbing toddler into her arms. "There, there. It'll be all right."

"B-b-but Anna can't find Yoh!" Anna wailed.

"Look, it's Cinderella!" someone called.

"Cinderella, can I have your autograph?"

"Can I take a picture?"

Cinderella smiled. "I need to help this little lost princess," she said. "I'll be back soon." She patted Anna's back.

"Is everything all right, Cinderella?" a cast member with two tawny colored braids asked.

"This princess needs help finding her family," Cinderella said. "This is Keitorin, Princess. She's a very nice cast member, and she'll help you."

Anna sniffled and let Cinderella hand her to Keitorin. "Hi, princess," Keitorin said, smiling. "Why, you're not lost. You know exactly where you are. It's your parents that got lost. Can you tell me what their names are?"

"Daddy," Anna sniffled. Cinderella laughed softly, petting Anna's light hair with her gloved hand. "And Yoh."

"Well, we'll find them," Keitorin said. "Come on, sweetheart. We'll take care of you until they get found."

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**Author's Notes:**

Again, I randomly appear!

Yes, I worked at Disney World in Orlando, but as a Great Movie Rider, not a character attendant. GMR rawks hardcore, yo.

Also, Alice is my favorite Disney character.


	17. Chapter 17

Disclaimer: Shaman King belongs to Hiroyuki Takei and Shonen Jump, not me.

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Yoh trudged through the park. "I can't believe I lost her _again_," he mumbled. "Once is bad enough. How many times have I lost her?"

Pilika started counting on her fingers. "Let's see…at school…a game of hide and seek…although that was mostly Ren's fault…"

"I should never have children," Yoh moaned. "I'll just lose them. And then Anna will kill me."

"If she ever grows up," Hao said. "She's been a toddler for how long? If she stays like this much longer, I doubt she'll ever go back to being a teenager."

Yoh grabbed his hair in big handfuls. "My life is over!" he screeched. "This is just all too messed up. Too much to handle. I'm just going to have to…"

"Found her," Ren said. He pointed across the castle courtyard. A character attendant stood by as Cinderella and Belle signed autographs. And sitting on the edge of the Cinderella fountain, resplendent in a silver-blue dress and tiara, was Anna. She waved regally at the people coming to meet the princesses. Most people waved back, and some even paused to take a picture with her. Anna swung her little feet back and forth, bumping her small heels against the fountain.

Bright golden light glinted off the turrets of the castle and shone over the courtyard. Yoh stared, awestruck. He no longer saw a little toddler, but a beautiful young woman. Anna, the teenage Anna, sat on the edge of the fountain, trailing her slender fingers in the water. The sunlight made her long hair shine golden over her slim white shoulders. She smiled at her reflection in the clear water. Her blue gown hugged her petite body snugly. Yoh couldn't tear his eyes away.

_Why did I never realize she was beautiful?_

But the clouds moved in front of the sun, and Yoh was once again looking at a pretty toddler, alternating between sucking solemnly on her fingers and waving at the line of tourists.

"Anna!" Tamao squealed, running towards her. "Anna, there you are!"

"I not Anna, I _Princess _Anna," the little blonde corrected gravely.

Cinderella looked up from the page she was signing. "Did you find your family, Princess Anna?" she asked.

"Yes," said Anna, lifting up her arms for Tamao to hold her.

"My, princess, you have a very large court," Belle smiled. Anna nodded.

Yoh took Anna from Tamao's arms. She nestled happily in his arms, plucking at the sheer overlay of her dress. "Thank you for taking care of her," he said.

"She's a delight," Cinderella said, smiling. She leaned over and kissed Anna on the top of the head. "Goodbye, Anna, and never forget…you are always a princess."

Yoh had never seen Anna smile so brightly. "I won't," she said. "Never."

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**Author's Note:**

Now you know why I titled the story "Princess".


	18. Chapter 18

Disclaimer: Shaman King belongs to Hiroyuki Takei and Shonen Jump, not me.

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Yoh rolled over feeling strange. _It's one o'clock in the morning_, he thought. _I don't have to get up early for a workout. I don't have school tomorrow. I love sleeping. So why am I awake?_

He crawled out of his futon and sat up, yawning. His record player skipped and bumped at the end of the record. "I must've fallen asleep listening again," he mumbled. He reached over and switched it off.

Yoh pulled a yukata over his sleeveless shirt and pajama pants and padded down the hall. Everything was silent. Tamao and Pilika were at Jun's for a girl's night. Ren and HoroHoro were at a school retreat. Hao had gone to Izumo for the weekend. It was just Yoh and Anna in the big empty house.

Yoh cracked the door to Anna's bedroom and peeked inside. She was lying on her tummy in her crib, her head turned away from him. "She dropped her blankie," Yoh mumbled to himself, and picked it up off the floor. He draped it over her small body, but as he bent to kiss her on the cheek, he realized she was hot, and her breathing was labored.

Yoh switched on the small lamp by her crib. "Hey, sweetie," he cooed. "You all right? You feeling okay?" He reached into the crib and picked her up. The sleeping baby whimpered, but her whimper turned into a cough. Yoh felt her forehead. "Anna, you're sick."

Anna's immense brown eyes opened hazily. "Hot," she whimpered hoarsely. "Anna hot."

Yoh patted her back. "I know, I know," he said. He shifted Anna in his arms, putting the little girl's head on his shoulder. Anna limply draped her arms around his neck. She coughed against his shoulder, her small body shaking. "How did you do this, baby? You were fine when I put you to bed."

"I don't know," Anna whimpered.

"It's okay, it's okay," Yoh soothed. He sat down on the rocking chair, adjusting her in the cradle of his arms. Her small face was flushed; her damp hair curled around her ears. "Let's get you some medicine, all right?"

Yoh got her medicine. He read to her. He sang to her. Nothing helped. Anna lay quietly, limply, in his arms, hot and trembling. Yoh glanced over at the clock. Four o'clock in the morning. "Anna," he said. He caught his breath and ran his hand through his hair. "Anna, I don't know what to do anymore. I can't…I can't help you." Tears smarted in the corners of his eyes. "I never know what to do to help you. You don't even seem to want my help most of the time. I can't…I'm useless. I'm completely useless."

The toddler looked up at him, her big chocolatey eyes red-rimmed and barely focused. "Don't go," Anna whispered. "Don't go away." She wrapped her small hands around his fingers. "Just don't go away."

Yoh hugged her tightly. "I won't, I won't," he said. "I promise I won't leave you. I won't ever leave. I promise.' He kept murmuring that over and over again, nuzzling his cheek against her hair and ears and lips. She drooped in his arms, and finally Yoh fell into an exhausted sleep, cradling Anna in his arms.

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**Author's Notes:**

…


	19. Chapter 19

Disclaimer: Shaman King belongs to Hiroyuki Takei and Shonen Jump, not me.

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The first thing Yoh realized when he woke was that his entire body ached. He blinked groggily. His body was crammed and contorted into the wooden rocking chair. Gingerly he tilted his neck from side to side, working out the kinks.

The second thing he noticed was the weight in his arms. He cracked his neck again and vaguely remembered falling asleep holding Anna. Yoh looked down. "Anna," he whispered.

He wasn't holding a toddler, but a beautiful girl.

Anna snuggled in his arms, nestling her cheek against his chest. Her slender arms wrapped around his waist, and her small thin legs folded up against the arm of the chair. Yoh's heart nearly burst out of his chest. He hugged her tightly, burying his face into her golden hair.

Anna's face squinched up. "Yoh," she murmured.

"Hi, baby," he said, clutching her. "Hi, sweetie. Are you feeling all right?"

"You're squishing me," she mumbled.

"Oh, oh, sorry," he said, readjusting so she could get comfortable. "Are you feeling better?"

Anna rubbed her forehead. "I…I don't know," she said. "I can't really remember anything."

"You woke up sick last night," he explained.

"No, no, I can't…I can't remember much of anything," she said. She looked up at him, hazy and confused. "Was I…no, I couldn't have…"

"Been a toddler?" Yoh finished.

Anna started. "You mean I was?"

"You were," Yoh said. "It's childhood…childhood avoidance…'

"Childhood avoidance regression," Anna sighed. "I hoped I would never do that. I knew I was at risk…I should have warned you."

"No, no, it's okay," Yoh said. He couldn't help but beam- Anna was still in his arms, and she wasn't pulling away. It was a miracle. "I'm just glad I could help you."

Anna looked up at him, her eyes soft. "You did help me, didn't you?" she whispered.

Yoh looked down at her. She was right there, soft and warm and even smiling a little bit. He stared at her for a moment, thinking. And then he took his chance.

He took her into his arms, hugging her tightly. "I told you I wasn't ever going to leave you, and I won't," he whispered. "I won't leave you. I promise."

Anna buried her face in the curve of his neck. Her arms wrapped around him tightly. And that was answer enough for him

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**Author's Notes:**

Uh…the end!

Thanks to everyone who stuck by me and reviewed, despite my mental drought and lack of updates. I hope you enjoyed this story!

This is one of my top three stories, along with "Wedding Bells" and "Moonlit Mirrors."


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